Valley Focus | Van Nuys

Reward Offered in Woman's Slaying

Los Angeles officials are offering a $25,000 reward for information that helps solve the case of a 50-year-old woman found slain in her apartment more than a year ago.

Police on Thursday unveiled a composite drawing of a man they believe strangled Concepcion Madrid, a single mother of four children, on Jan. 14, 1997.

The reward--approved by the City Council--was offered because leads in the case have dried up, Det. Dan O'Hanian of the LAPD Van Nuys station said.

"We need the help of the public to identify this man," he said.

The man being sought is described as tall and in his early 40s.

Madrid was found strangled in her apartment complex in the 13300 block of Vanowen Street, police said.

The killer is believed to have been at least an acquaintance of Madrid who she had let into the house, O'Hanian said.

According to investigators, Madrid's daughter had seen an unfamiliar man talking to her mother at an indoor swap meet in the 7355 block of Lankershim Boulevard, where Madrid cut hair in a salon.

Detectives focused on that man and Madrid's daughter helped an artist draw a composite sketch. The drawing was shown to Madrid's neighbors, who recognized the man and placed him at the crime scene about the time of the slaying, O'Hanian said.

The man, believed by investigators to live in Glendale or Burbank, may also frequent the areas of Victory and Lankershim boulevards and Victory Boulevard and Hollywood Way.

A motive for the killing has not been established.

Anyone with information on the killing is being asked to call detectives at (818) 756-8377 or (213) 485-3261.